Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Corinth vs Bar Harbor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mount Desert has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.5%).
Corinth has the most affordable homes ($136k median).
Bar Harbor has the most people working from home (21.9%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Mount Desert | Corinth | Bar Harbor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671Lowest |
2,990 |
5,244Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.8% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
42.7±6Lowest 5% below ME |
49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
23%±4.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Corinth and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64.4% ME: 36.2% |
20.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Bar Harbor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$64,229±$5kLowest 14% below ME |
$77,180±$26k 3% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
$135,800±$31kLowest 54% below ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$883±$157Lowest 22% below ME |
$1,106±$351 about the ME average |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,512 16% above ME |
$1,381Lowest 55% below ME |
$4,279Highest 41% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
23.4%±11.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
11.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.2% ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 minHighest 21% above ME |
20 min 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±5.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #102 of 133 in ME | #2 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 64/MSAD 64 | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD |
| High school in town | None in town | Central High School | Mt Desert Island High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.3Highest |
8.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.